TechnologicVehicles

19.05.2013
The new Peugeot 308’s greenest version emits as little CO2 as the Golf 7 BlueMotion

Although its name remains, the new Peugeot 308 has been completely modified. It also breaks new ground in many areas and excels in reducing CO2 emissions. The 308 has been originally launched in September 2007, since it had been facelifted but the 2013 Peugeot 308 changes everything ... except his name. In the compact sedan segment, the more profitable for manufacturers in Europe, the competition is tough, starting with the new Golf VII. Peugeot therefore pushes the envelope and shows that it wants to maintain its position as fourth European in terms of volumes.

The new 308 looks good, sporty and elegant, it uses the steering wheel launched with the 208 along with the artsy tachos. Offered as standard on the beautiful center console, a large touch screen (25cm diagonal) allows to control features of the car, radio, air conditioning ...

Its trunk is announced as the largest in the compact sedan class with 470 liters for a rather short car (4.25 m).

A weight reduction of 140 kg and emissions starting at 85g/km

The entirely new platform will also serve for the new 5008 with an amazing modularity of its rear part.

Emissions of carbon dioxide reach 85g/km in combined cycle for the most efficient diesel version. Exactly the same figure as the benchmark for CO2 emissions, the Golf VII BlueMotion.

The design of the car, affirms the brand’s new language, statutory, with a HR-1 or 2008 rear-end. The two-tone large wheels enhance the sportiness with the 10 branches seeming in perpetual motion.

It's Sochaux plant in France that will produce the new Peugeot 308 while the other French sites of Trémery and Douvrin will provide all the powertrains. The new Peugeot 308 will have its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10, 2013 before landing in showrooms by year-end.

17.05.2013
Mitsubishi returns to Pikes Peak 2013 with the i-Miev Evolution II

After the return of TMG - the winners of last year - with the TMG EV P002 DriveEO’s surprise participation with the eO PP01, Mitsubishi just announced its return to achieve a better score that the second place they had achieved the last year in the electric category.

Indeed, last year, Mitsubishi raced an electric car for the first time in the legendary race to the cloud and despite the experience gained with the development of its compact electric-car, nothing replaces the race!

Therefore this year they upgraded the car that looses the roof looking less i-Miev and more open-wheeler. The i-MiEV Evolution II remains a 4WD but it now has four electric motors (3 before) for a peak power going from 240kW to 400kW (536hp) with a battery whose capacity is up by 40% at 50kWh, that should make a difference!

Two pilots, Hiroshi Masuoka and Greg Tracy will be at the starting line.

In the participants from last year, only Tajima has not revealed yet its prototype for this year...

16.05.2013
French company McPhy bets on solid hydrogen storage

McPhy is developing a solution for storing hydrogen in a solid form.
In a car, the hydrogen powers a fuel cell that recharges the batteries, eliminating problems of autonomy and/or weight related to batteries.

This reaction emits only water but has several downsides, not only for the gas production (from hydrocarbon or expensive hydrolysis of water), but also to store it safely, as the hydrogen ignites spontaneously in contact with air.

The most common solution is to store it in a secure cylinder.
Another issue is its low density which requires to store it at a pressure of 700 bars!

The solution of solid storage

The interest of this new technology is therefore obvious as its allows to store hydrogen in a solid slab thanks to the addition of magnesium hydride nano-molecules that accelerate absorption and release of the gas. Moreover, the operation is possible at a pressure of less than 10 bars.

Hydrogen is restored after a heat input on the slab. The idea of storage in a solid form exists since the 70s, but the development of nano-particles actually allowed scientists from McPhy to improve storage capacity of existing systems. Hydrogen slabs contain up to twice the capacity of hydrogen cylinder in the same volume.

Via CnetFrance / McPhyEnergy

16.05.2013
(VIDEO) 2014 S-Class, four engines, two hybrids, emissions from 115g/km (S400 and S300 BlueTEC HYBRID)

Mercedes revealed yesterday in Hamburg the world premiere of the new S-Class, the current generation was only available in a petrol hybrid petrol variant the S400, but the 2014 generation optimizes the performance of the powertrain and inaugurates a new S300 BlueTEC HYBRID version (engine already discovered in the E-Class).

S300 BlueTEC HYBRID, consumption of 4.4l/100km and emissions of just 115g/km!

This powertrain combines a 2.2l four cylinder diesel developing 150kW (204hp) and a 20kW electric motor positioned between the engine and the 7-speed gearbox - the respective torques are listed at 500 and 250 nm. This engine marks the arrival of four cylinder engines in Mercedes’ flagship albeit with a 0 to 100kph in 7.6 seconds only!

S400 Hybrid

More CO2 emissions for the gasoline hybrid version.. but still a 20% improvement over the previous generation with an average consumption of 6.3l/100km and emissions of 147g/km. The V6 is combined with the same 20kW electric motor for power of 306+27hp and torque of 370+250nm combined.

The 0 to 100kph is in turn announced at 6.8 seconds.

In summary some impressive efficiency records for this new generation of S-Class that focuses on frugality and gets ahead of the competition!

15.05.2013
Renault technical partner of the Formula E

Renault just announced an agreement with Spark Racing Technology as a technical partner of this company managed by Frederic Vasseur and responsible of developing 42 electric cars for the FIA Formula E Championship.

Indeed, last year, we announced that Formula E Holdings had entrusted to Spark Racing Technology the development of the open-wheelers for the first electric Grand-Prix.

Renault now joins the adventure for a championship to be launched in 2014. Because of their involvement and knowledge of motorsports and electric vehicles, Renault’s experience will be highly beneficial to the adventure.

The 42 electric cars will therefore bear the name of Spark-Renault, at least for the first season.

"The engineers of Renault Sport F1 and Renault Sport Technologies will collaborate with the Spark Racing Technology team to optimize the electrical and electronic systems as well as the transmission’s performance. Our experience will be valuable in ensuring the safety and reliability of the car."

Patrice Ratti, CEO of Renault Sport Technologies.

Does this puts it into question the agreement with McLaren (supposed to provide motors, transmission and electronics) signed in November 2012?

Renault Sport was also recently revealing a tuned Twizy, the Twizy RSF1 that would make a good pace car!

14.05.2013
(VIDEO) TommyKaira is reborn as an EV sports-car, “ZZ emblem is back“, 0 to 100kph in 3.9 seconds!

TommyKaira is an independent Japanese manufacturer created in 1997, it became famous worldwide with the help of GranTurismo, they built 200 sports-cars completely by hand.

In partnership with GreenLordMotors the brand takes a fresh start with an electric roadster that uses a legendary model name, the double Z: TommyKaira ZZ EV.

GreenLordMotors is a company based on the Campus of Kyoto’s University a venture of companies like Nidec, Omron with investors such as Nobuyuki Idei, former president of Sony...

GreenLordMotors has developed an electric platform, a monocoque chassis to which TommyKaira fitted a completely new body.

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The TommyKaira ZZ EV in figures

This electric sports car weighs only 850kg and offers 225kW (305hp) for 415nm of torque, therefore 0 to 100kph takes just 3.9 seconds for a range of 120km.

Launched in April the roadster is available from this year in a limited edition of 99 units at a price of 8.000.000 yen, the equivalent of € 60,518 at today’s exchange rate.

For the record, GreenLordMotors had also developed an electric scooter with three-wheels but so far no production announced - even in small series.

13.05.2013
2013 TT Zero: Mugen Shinden back on the Isle of Man!

This year, for the fifth edition, the race of the Isle of Man (IOMTT) will have a zero emissions version, the TT Zero, and to better challenge the Motoczysz bikes who took the first two places last year, along with the average record speed on a lap set at 100mph, the Team Mugen has improved its race electric motorcycle.

Named Mugen Shinden NI, this 2013 version has been developed by M-Tec from the experience gained on the last Isle of Man and via tests on race-tracks, work has been focused on the aerodynamics and weight, so it offers the same power and torque 122hp - 220Nm but with 20kg less.

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This year the target is 110mph (177kph) average for the Team MUGEN – that finished third last year - John McGuiness will again be behind the wheel to tackle Motoczysz, the battle will start from May 25th to June 7!

For now, Motoczysz has not yet released the 2013 versions of its electric motorcycles E1pc.

13.05.2013
Tesla posts first benefits, stock rise accordingly

The electric sports car manufacturer Tesla is profitable for the first time in its young history. Prooving that the zero-emission car has a present and a future ... At least in the premium segment!

After getting close to bankruptcy several times, and helped by two loans from the U.S. government for hundreds of millions dollars, Tesla now has some wind in its sails. The brand of 100% electric luxury vehicles created ten years ago, posted a profit for the first time in its history during the first quarter of this year.

The information was revealed this week by Elon Musk, and on Wednesday, May 8, the stock of the company reached its highest level at $ 73 when it started at $ 17 in 2010.

At the penultimate quarter of last year, the company still had a deficit of $ 110 million and "only" $ 90 million the next quarter. In the first three months of the year and despite the economic background, in a sector where bankruptcy filings are legion (Fisker, Coda) the company earned $ 15 million in revenues.

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At more than $ 60,000 piece, the Model S is selling well

The success of the premium and high performance electric sedan called the Model S drives the sales of the brand since its release in mid-2012 release. So much that the Model S has sold better than any other electric car Chevrolet Volt (4421 units) and Nissan Leaf (3695 units).

Here is a sporty test by Consumer Reports, which shows that the green sedan is actually not so wise, as well as our meeting with a Model S in Paris, the first in France!

12.05.2013
(VIDEO) H-Ker First on the race track - as good as a 34hp electric bike can get - a 150hp e-bike for the 2014 TTXGP

The company H-Ker has presented the final version of the First, a race electric motorcycle designed for track initiation, and offered a few laps of the Circuit Carole to reporters / testers aboard of one of the three units available that day.

After the first prototype in 2011, the H-Ker First has been improved, the basic idea was to focus on weight reduction, so the bike remains fun to drive: in the end it offers 34hp, 160kg (9kWh battery included) and a maximum speed of 140kph with 40 minutes of range - for the info the YZF-R125 which is used as base for the bike weighs 138kg with a full tank and it offers 15hp.

The major problem faced by the H-Ker team is finding the right suppliers, including battery but also the electric motor cooling - extremely sought in this type of use and required to provide constant power in long straight lines. For reasons of cost and weight, H-Ker chose air cooling for the motor, still being optimized.

The French company plans to sell fleets of electric motorcycles to race-track and local authorities, in this context they should soon offer other models and even announce a demonstrator of 150hp for less than 200kg at the 2014 TTXGP!

11.05.2013
(VIDEO) LaFerrari prototype arrested by the cops in Dubai!

LaFerrari code named F150, is the first hybrid supercar (rather hypercar) offered by the brand.

Successor of the Enzo, it’s a car with a radical specs-sheet that created a sensational buzz around the world since its introduction on the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, only 499 copies are planned at a prohibitive cost of €1.2million, the price 950hp for 1270kg...

Each spotting of LaFerrari is therefore an event and while the future and / or potential customers were invited to a formal presentation a few weeks ago in Italy, a presentation that Jamiroquai (Jay Kay) attended, one of our readers spotted the LaFerrari prototype still under camo in the streets of Dubai ... Far enough for a police check!!

Was it in the hands of a potential buyer or official testers for heat and sand resistance tests? Hard to say.. But thanks to the police for stopping this one which is hard to follow in motion!!